N1.3bn Fraud: How Apostle Theophilus Oloche acquired hotel, factory primary school with crime proceeds

A new report has uncovered further information about the illegal actions of Faith On The Rock Ministry International’s General Overseer, Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi.

Remember that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission apprehended the cleric.

Ebonyi was arrested for allegedly cheating his church members and other Nigerians with N1.3 billion in phony Ford Foundation donations.

He misled his victims, who included Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs, and individuals, by advertising an intervention project through his NGO (Theobarth Global Foundation), saying that the Ford Foundation was granting a $20 billion grant to help the less fortunate in society.

According to the Punch, Ebonyi used the earnings from his fraudulent dealings with his subscribers to buy a 23-room hotel, a pure water factory, two blocks of a primary school, and two bungalow offices in Nyanya-Gwandara, New Karu, Abuja, as well as a five-bedroom duplex in Karsana, Abuja.

He also used his subscribers’ donations to establish a live broadcast channel complete with studio equipment for his Theobarth Global Foundation.

He allegedly duped his victims into signing up as recipients of the bogus grant by requesting them to pay for registration forms and fees. Each subscriber group was required to pay N1.8 million.

Ebonyi allegedly made N1.3 billion from naïve subscribers and non-governmental groups as a result of this arrangement.

EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale stated that the Ford Foundation has no arrangement, grant, partnership, or business with Ebonyi.

According to the statement, the Ford Foundation has categorically denied any connection to Ebonyi and his NGO. The Commission has also traced five properties he acquired as a result of his unlawful activities.

Despite his detention and investigation by the EFCC, Ebonyi is apparently still reaching out to his subscribers on several social media sites to promote his fraudulent grant from the Ford Foundation.

The photos below show some of the properties he acquired with the proceeds of the crime.

(Credit: Reuben Abati Media)